WHILE his old sidekick Sooty is TV history, Matthew Corbett has embarked on a new career - as a pub rock musician.

The former Sooty Show presenter - who lives in Lymm with his wife Sallie - will be singing and playing guitar in a series of pubs throughout Manchester with his musical partner, keyboardist and vocalist John Gray.

The duo, billed as Corbett and Gray, specialise in everything from Beatles and Chuck Berry hits to popular favourites such as Hi-ho Silver Lining. Their set also includes a medley of Queen songs.

In his 25 years as writer and presenter of The Sooty Show, Mr Corbett, 58 - who now performs under his real name Peter - appeared in many large-scale venues including in Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium, as well as countless theatres across Britain and Australia. Although the venues are smaller this time round, he is happy to be performing again.

Guitar

"I've always loved playing the guitar," he said. "In the seven years since I stopped doing Sooty, I started practising again, until I felt I'd become good enough to start playing in front of people."

Peter is keen to emphasise that Corbett and Gray are very much a duo and that it is as much John's band as it is his.

"Pete and I met through mutual friends," said John, 53, a music teacher from Hale. "We've only only known each other a matter of months - although he always says it feels like years."

The pair are sticking to playing cover versions for the time being, although Pete has written more than 200 songs.

Neither Sooty nor Sweep will be appearing on stage.

Ruined

Peter sold the rights for the show to Gullane Entertainment in 1997. The programme continued on ITV with new presenters and a new format. However, the ratings dropped and the show eventually lost its TV contract.

"I think the new format ruined the show, to be honest," says Peter, who took over as presenter of the show after his father, Harry Corbett, died in 1989. "The new writers didn't understand Sooty or the audience as well as myself or my father had.

"He and I presented the show for almost 50 years between us. It was always a part of my life."

* Corbett and Gray will be performing at Ye Old Number Three at Agden, tonight; the Bulls Head in Lymm, on September 25; The Barn Owl on Warrington Lane, Lymm, October 6; and The Red Lion at Moore, October 16.